Sir, This Government's Budget has proved beyond all doubt that Labour and Democratic Left Ministers have surrounded themselves with "Advisers" whose only job seems to be to remove the said Minister as far as possible from the voter that elected him. How can the voter in Kerry understand the fact that he voted for Dick Spring and Fergus Finlay is wheeled out to answer questions for him and make decisions for him. As for Democratic Left, when they left the name Workers' Party behind them I'm afraid they left the workers as well.
In this Budget an employer will receive £80 per week subsidy if he takes on an employee who has been out of work for three years. So we now tell our sons and daughters, go on the dole for three years and then you might get a job If we examine that £80 carefully we will realise that it is not £80 at all but £25.80. The employee and employer between then will have paid to the Minister, Tax £38.40 and PRSI, £15.80 total £54.20. Who do they think they are fooling?
The only crime prevention measure in the whole Budget was an extra tax free allowance of £800 for those living alone to, install an alarm system. Two points come to mind here. Is this an "underhand way by Labour and Democratic Left to get some poor frightened farmer to register for tax? (Maybe they will tax his dole) Is the Minister for Justice telling us that the answer to the crime wave is that we all live in a fortress from now on.
Wake up Ministers, get out of your big cars and walk up a few boreens you need not be afraid, you will have your armed guards with you, but you might find out what the real people of Ireland are suffering. Yours, etc., Foxfield Park, Raheny, Dublin 5.